Made in USA Articles May 2013

Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday, June 16th. What a great time to get that “Made in USA” Dad something actually made in our nation!

Speaking as a Dad, we really do not need another tie or some other chintzy, imported gift. It is nice to hear from loved ones, but honestly, that stuff is not getting used.

What is really cool for many Dads is getting something made in our great nation. They appreciate it on so many levels! It keeps our nation strong and puts folks to work so they do not need welfare. Plus, he remembers lots of stuff made here and is unhappy about not being able to find it at the chain stores! And, you can say, “It’s Made in The USA, just like you, Dad!”

This week, we have a special sale on items he may really enjoy!

However, if you do not want to guess his size or preferences, MadeinUSAForever.com gift certificates never expire and are good for any of our over 600 USA suppliers!

Make it a “Made in USA” Father’s Day and he will be thrilled!

Featured Supplier This Week – Anderson-Little Blazers

Generations of American men have worn Anderson-Little blazers at important events. The year-round wool blend makes these blazers a good looking choice in any season. Slipping on a blazer makes a casual outfit into something a bit more formal and stylish! Available in navy or black, these blazers simply cannot be beat! Your special guy needs one!

New Items:

We now have colored towels made in USA by 1888 Mills! These Millennium towels come in ten different colors: Navy, Cyprus (light green), Marine, White, Karat (light yellow), Redwood, Onyx, Natural, Hunter and Coco! There is a color choice for almost any bathroom décor.

Krasco makes wonderful basket products, planters and even a mailbox with cover from 100% post-consumer recycled materials. Hand woven, yet UV-treated to resist fading, they are truly something special and artistic! These baskets not only look good, but also stand the test of time.

5/22/13

Levi's Letdown Countered by True USA-Made Jean Sale

What could be more Red, White and Blue Made in USA than blue jeans?

The big makers have really let us down. Levi’s went overseas completely, but recently started selling a $129 pair that they claim is “Made in USA”. However, their own website admits under product description “100% Cotton – China”. (I am not making this up; here is the link to their website: http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12903311) That means Chinese fabric and only sewn here, plus they openly contradict themselves on where it is made! That should be “Sewn in USA” or “Assembled in USA,” but there is no way that should be labeled “Made in USA”!

The other two big jeans brands do not even give us that awful choice.

I am fed up with big companies outsourcing our industry and jobs! I am disgusted with the large retail chain stores enabling, even encouraging, our nation’s outsourcing. Who do they think they are going to sell to in years to come if they have put so many of their customers out of work? Please join me in taking a stand against this nonsense and greed!

We have several great brands of jeans on MadeinUSAForever.com that use USA-grown cotton, are woven here in our nation and are finally made into excellent jeans. These include Schaefer Ranchwear, RoundHouse, Kneegard and Texas Jeans.

Texas Jeans, in fact, was one of our first suppliers. I literally had a garage full of cases of their inventory just before we launched. They prove that we can beat China on value AND price, while still keeping it truly made here using only USA components! Let’s compare - $35 or so for the various Texas Jeans models or $129 for the Levi’s mentioned above.

Plus, I am so disgusted by that Levi’s nonsense that I am putting Texas Jeans on sale this week. Click here to see: Link to Texas Jeans Sale

Featured Supplier: Woodsman’s Pal Maker Pro Tool

Pro Tool has been making the Woodsman’s Pal since 1941. In fact, it served with our troops in the grueling South Pacific jungles during WWII and has been bought by our military ever since. It trims, chops, splits wood, clears campsites, build shelters and serves many other purposes for the true outdoorsman or woman. The solid, high-quality steel blade is like nothing available at mega-mart. We have never had a complaint or return of these for ANY reason. Father’s Day is coming up!

New Items:

Maine Heritage Weavers is one of my favorite suppliers. When the old Bates Mill closed, it was a real blow to a community that had folks working there for generations. Instead of giving up, the employees bought the equipment out of bankruptcy and founded something new. They have added three new blankets that are truly heirloom quality. Not only wonderful for everyday use, but a thing of beauty to last through the decades.

Cast Industries, a Minnesota startup, has forged a new Angle Collet Grinder. Per the maker, “The Angle Grinder Collet Adapter is a simple three piece machined steel collet-spindle adapter for angle grinders.”

StikkiHooks Removable Reusable Hooks and StikkiClips stick firmly to surfaces without damage or mess. They are removable, reusable, safe and can hold a surprising amount for such a little device! Useful in so many ways! For instance, say your teens want to move stuff around on their bedroom walls: they can rearrange those walls to their hearts’ content without damaging your paint!

5/16/13

Forget Those Foreign Towels and Flatware

Foreign towels: chintzy, thin, won’t absorb, maybe made in countries hostile to us, possibly with dangerous chemicals on them? Forget that! In spite of the shortage, we just got a huge shipment of Magnificence and Rapture towels, made for us by 1888 Mills in Griffin, Georgia. I am so excited to finally have them that they are on a special sale this week only – Details below in our On Sale This Week section.

Not so many years ago, if one bought a nice set of stainless steel flatware it probably was made here. I am very excited that we are again working with Liberty Tabletop Flatware to ensure that amazing quality spoons, forks and other utensils are again produced in our great nation! We started featuring them last year, but as with all factory re-starts, there were some supply hiccoughs. I am thrilled to say they are working through those issues and the results are splendid!

These are heirloom quality and made in a re-activated upstate New York factory of American steel. They are not cheap, but consider that they are forged to last generations. I have no doubt that the kids will be arguing someday about who gets ours.

Speaking of kids, I could never stand my little ones using foreign flatware. Having worked abroad, I am all too familiar with how chemicals can leach out of poor quality imports, so this is a real win on that front, too.

Plus, we get to help a startup bringing production back to the USA after literally being dead! This is what we live for, and I thank you so much for your support!!!

New Items:

Ener-Gel makes great foot insoles that relieve pain for many folks. Just slide any of them into your shoes and see what happens. They’ve just released their new “Cool Gel Light Insoles” for an even lighter insole with more energy return. Their more famous competition closed their factories here and moved to China.

The Best Manufacturing kitchen tools we added recently were such a massive hit, we just added their new ladle. Great for soup or cooking, this 8 oz stainless steel ladle really serves it up!

Amana Woolen Mills was one of our first three suppliers. They have been weaving amazing blankets in Iowa since 1855. Pride in their workmanship across generations creates something special. We have added a dozen blanket styles to MadeinUSAForever.com this week.

Udderly Smooth has been making amazing milk-based moisture creams in Ohio for over three decades. This stuff is great for dry hands and feet: just click the link below to see their amazing low prices! Watch out for Udder knockoffs out there, as this is the true blue (black and white?) Udderly Smooth cream made in our nation.

5/9/13

USA Trade Deficits Leading to National Insolvency

Croesus of Lydia, widely remembered even today for the expression “Rich as Croesus,” is actually the creator of modern gold coins about 2600 years ago. Previously, there had been stamped--but inconsistent--nuggets of silver, etc. However, this was the first moment gold had been pressed into a disk with a certified meaning that was easily utilized and transferable as a store of value.

Soon the concept spread, creating wealth around the ancient world, followed nearly immediately (I say only half-jokingly) by government borrowing, currency devaluation and insolvency.

History does not show many examples of a nation protecting its wealth wisely over the long run. At almost any moment in the history of nations, questions like “How are we going to pay for this?” or perhaps “How can we make this happen in spite of not having the resources?” are lurking just below the surface.

Every great power in history shows a cycle: growth with considered wealth creation, stagnation typically coupled with foreign wars and, if not checked, decline.

Our nation is arcing towards decline on several fronts involving deficits. Large deficit spending by the government that involves either printing money or borrowing abroad cannot be sustained. However, just as vital is the drain our trade deficit puts on the economy. Both are more intertwined than many realize. Simply put, the less we make in our nation, the more the government must borrow to try to sustain spending. The trade deficit leads to national insolvency.

Yet, the opposite is true, too: the MORE we make in our nation, the less the government has to borrow.

When we buy more of what our people make, we put them to work without the government needing to spend on a stimulus plan. Those folks get off of welfare (less government spending), start paying taxes (reducing the budget deficit) and have the opportunity to at least have a shot at what it is supposed to mean to be American.

Even a small move would make a tremendous difference. If, for instance, 10% of our people would shift one or two purchases a month to Made in USA, it would create hundreds of thousands of jobs! However, if we took it to the next level, we would really heal this great nation and stop the decline!

Buy Made in USA and save our great nation!

Featured Supplier – Preserve

Preserve makes lots of very cool bathroom, kitchen and dining products from recycled products right here in the USA! They tell me that it saves 75% of the oil needed and 64% of the greenhouse gases. I am excited to announce that we have taken advantage of the added space in our new warehouse to bring in ALL the Preserve products that we sell! I am so glad to be working with good folks like Preserve for our great nation’s future!

New Items –

Celebriducks the maker that brought rubber duck production back to the USA, has added a very cute new USA-Made duck. The Pork Chopper is a fun, Harley inspired biker duck. His motto “Live Free, Float Free.” Please note, this company does sell foreign ducks too, but those on our website are made here.

FitFill makes funnels and spouts for many different uses. The Snap-And-Pour Spout Set allows garage liquids to be transferred without spilling a drop. The FitPop is a substantial funnel for many of your liquid transfer needs. The F.O.G. fits snugly on gallon jugs. The FitBig fits 2” holes on oil drums, F-containers, jerry cans, etc. All are made from solid, recycled plastic and help prevent polluting spills at home and work.

We have a new, small colander from Preserve. Perfect when you just do not need a huge colander to rinse something.

5/2/13

A Week of Choices

First of all, Thank You! Nearly 1300 of you indicated that you contacted your Senators on the out-of-state Internet tax bill (S.143)! You are amazing!

I know from my conversations with congressional staffers that getting that kind of response to a non-emotionally-charged issue is something they definitely noticed. Years ago, I was talking to a key staff member of a famous Senator, and he said “What is going on out there? I have gotten THREE calls on this issue!”

We may lose in the Senate, but with our efforts and those of others, Senator Reid was forced to move into an embarrassing delay on a vote that he had committed to have completed last week. We have shown them there is a cost and that we will take a stand even if we know we will likely lose!

This surprise effort that Wal-Mart lobbied for so heavily, ignoring the Senate’s own committee rules to take it right to the floor, also had effects they had not counted on – many have rallied to our side and expect to put up a pitch battle in the House of Representatives. The Wall Street Journal, for instance, has been somewhat hostile in the past, but has rallied strongly on this issue due to the obvious unfairness of Internet companies having to file in 9700 tax districts, and any of them being able to audit us.

I do not have a House bill number yet, but if you want to get a head start on telling your House member how you feel, here is a link: Link to House Members

On another topic, I was pleasantly surprised see The Harvard Business Review’s website publish the article “How Chinese Subsidies Changed the World”. It is time the media starts to come around to the fact that politics and not the profit motive drive Chinese actions. Their manipulation of economic factors not only distorts markets, but destroys makers here. We might get a product from China cheaper in the short run, but we pay the price when our factories close and OUR people have no jobs. Link to Article

Also, I think we can all agree with the new Pope that these factory tragedies in places like Bangladesh are horrific and need attention. From the article (Pope Francis said), "A headline that really struck me on the day of the tragedy in Bangladesh was 'Living on 38 euros a month (about $66)’. That is what the people who died were being paid. This is called slave labor." Link to Article

Featured Supplier – Wendell August

Happy Birthday to Wendell August: the company has been forging decorative metal products in Pennsylvania for 90 years! They have been a favorite with our USA customers for their amazing Christmas ornaments, but now we are greatly expanding our offerings to include their other Made in USA home goods, including picture frames and bowls.

New Items:

See those new Wendell August products in our new products section. More to be added shortly.

We have a fun new game from our favorite wood toy maker, Maple Landmark. Challenge those kids or grandkids to some good old-fashioned fun! Made in New Hampshire.